Modern Diesel Technology: Heavy Equipment Systems

Robert Huzij is currently a teaching professor and has been the coordinator of the Heavy Equipment Technician/Apprenticeship and the Truck and Coach Programs at Cambrian College in Sudbury Ontario for 20 years. Robert is also the author of the Canadian Heavy Equipment Technician Red Seal Certification Preparation textbook. He has served on Ontario’s Heavy Equipment Advisory Board and Motive Power Provincial Advisory Committees, Past Chairs the Skills Ontario Heavy Equipment Technical Skills Competition and past member of the Canadian Skills Competition Committee. He has headed up the team responsible for developing provincial curricula for apprenticeship technician training, documentation and testing in Ontario for the past 18 years. Prior to teaching, Mr. Huzij worked in private industry for more than 30 years, where he served his apprenticeship training and acquired his Interprovincial Red Seal certification. Before leaving the company to teach full time, he oversaw heavy equipment technician upgrading and apprentice training for 13 years with one of the largest mining companies in the world. At that time, the company had 300 Heavy Equipment technicians and 100 apprentices. Prior to that, he worked as a technician and apprenticeship training instructor in a heavy equipment remanufacturing shop.

Angelo Spano is the coordinator of the Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship and Post-Secondary programs at Centennial College in Toronto. His deep background in heavy equipment hydraulic, drivetrain, steering, suspension and electrical systems includes credentials as a Red Seal Certified Heavy Equipment Technician and dual certified adult educator. Mr. Spano is the Chair of the Ontario Heavy Equipment Technical Skills Competition and the Co-Chair of the Skills Canada National Technical Committee for Heavy Equipment competitions. He also represents Canada as the Skills Expert for the World Skills Competitions which are hosted every two years in a different country, chosen by the World Skills executive team. He is currently serving on the Ontario Heavy Equipment Advisory Board and the Motive Power Curriculum Delivery Advisory Committee. He has served on the development team for the current Canadian Heavy Duty Equipment Training Standards and the Harmonization curriculum updates group.

Sean Bennett is a former program coordinator for the Truck and Diesel Department at Centennial College as well as a former corporate trainer for Mack Trucks. During a 20-year tenure at the college, he authored new curricula, helped overhaul existing course offerings and chaired a wide range of curriculum development committees for the Province of Ontario. Mr. Bennett has written more than 30 books dealing with diesel, truck, heavy equipment and automotive technology, and he currently devotes his career to technical writing and speaking engagements. He has recently worked on domestic and Asia-based electric vehicle R&D projects and is an active member of the American Trucking Association’s Technology and Maintenance Council, the Association of Diesel Specialists, the Society of Automotive Engineers and the North American Council of Automotive Teachers. He is widely regarded as the foremost author in commercial vehicle technology.